City metro tunnels are usually constructed as twin-parallel tunnels and their adjacent construction may lead to surface deformation,affecting the surface environment and the safety of the tunnels.Due to its strong dispersion,sandy cobble strata can be easily disturbed by shield tunneling.Based on the project of the Chengdu Metro Line 1,field and model tests were carried out to study the surface settlement caused by shield tunneling in sandy cobble strata by measuring surface settlement curves,ground loss ratios and construction influence zones.The discrete element method(DEM) was used to study the factors affecting the formation of ground arches in sandy cobble strata at the microscopic level.Results show that the shape of the surface settlement curve in sandy cobble strata is different from that in soft soil.The buried depth and clear spacing of the two tunnels had a significant impact on the formation of ground arches.
Based on the first unde rwater railway shield tunnel, the Shiziyang shield tunnel of Guangzhou Zhu- jiang River, the prototype test was carried out against its segmental lining structure by using ＂multi-function shield tunnel structure test system＂. And the mechanical characteristics of segmental lining structure using straight assembling and staggered assembling were studied deeply. The results showed that, the mechanical characteristics of segmental lining structure varied with the water pressures; especially after cracking, the high water pressure played a significant role in slowing down the growing inner force and deformation. It also testi- fied that the failure characteristics varied with straight assembling structure and staggered assembling structure. Shear thilurc often occurred near longitudinal seam when using straight assembling.
